


words will fall like teeth

by orphan_account



Category: Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, canon compliant I guess, jason todd loves the food network
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 17:18:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7276918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe words said on accident can prove to be beneficial.</p>
            </blockquote>





	words will fall like teeth

**Author's Note:**

> prompt fill on tumblr (prompt me or just come say hi @hoevarr)
> 
> set (in my head at least) pre-rha but post-rhato and not rlly compatible w the joyfire poly relationship imo but you do you! 
> 
> title from lipstick covered magnet by the front bottoms which is SUCH a roy song and i luv it

“You still haven’t picked a movie out?” Jason asked, more teasing than actually surprised, as he shuffled into the living room with a blue plastic bowl overflowing with popcorn. 

 

Roy’s head shot up guiltily as he walked in, and he straightened up from where he had been crouched over a stack of movies near the television set. Jason momentarily regretted saying anything, as Roy’s position had been causing his old red tank top to ride up, giving Jason a glimpse of his pale skin and toned back muscles, but then he felt bad for even thinking about it like that. Jason shook his head like a dog emerging from the water, as if he were physically trying to shakeout thoughts. Roy looked puzzled for a second, but the look quickly fell off his face. 

 

“Yeah, sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Do you wanna just pick?” He gestured hopefully at the stack behind him, but Jason shook his head, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth. 

 

Chewed, swallowed. “Nah.” Another piece, talking as he chewed. “It’s not my turn.” 

 

Roy rolled his eyes, tossing his head back in exasperation. “But I’m indecisive,” he whined. “Besides, I have complete faith in your taste in things.” He stared at Jason pointedly, who may have blushed if his complexion was paler. Not for the first time around Roy, he said a silent prayer for his lack of blushing- he was unlike his partner in that sense, who was a redhead and had all the physical stereotypes that came along with it. 

 

“We could just watch the food network,” he tossed out, expecting Roy to roll his eyes and turn back around to contemplate the stack. He expected him to say nevermind, you know what, your judgement is horrible and we’re rewatching Ghostbusters for the fortieth time. Something like that. 

 

He didn’t expect Roy’s face to light up like a kid on Christmas morning, for him to jump up on the couch next to him like a puppy, toss him the remote, and beam “Okay!”

 

“Wait. Really?” 

 

Roy nodded, nudging the remote farther into Jason’s lap to emphasize his point, and his hand was dangerously close to his groin, and- 

 

“Fine,” Jason mock-snapped, grabbing the remote and flipping channels until he found his favorite. That being, of course, the food network. Roy always poked fun at him for it, and while Jason knew he wasn’t actually perplexed or annoyed by Jason getting worked up at Chopped like most people did football, he didn’t think Roy liked it enough to forego his turn at movie night just so they could watch the same thing as always, even if it really was Jason’s favorite. 

 

But he did seem to be enjoying himself. He shoved fisfuls of popcorn in his outh, already depleting the bowl by half and getting crumbs all over the couch- Jason would be annoyed, really, he should be, but. Well, the couch had seen much worse, everything from blood- both of theirs as well as others’- to spilled soda, to semen (tragically, none of it Jason’s.) 

 

Jason’s eyes, for once, weren’t glued to the TV. He kept glancing at Roy, who was pressed up against Jason’s side- to better access the popcorn bowl on his lap, Jason guessed. He turned his attention back to the TV. 

 

About halfway into the episode- the beginning of the entree round, always Roy’s favorite- the now empty bowl had been discarded and set on the floor, turned upside down; Roy had pulled a blanket down across his legs from where it had been flung over the back of the couch. He was leaning on Jason, weight of his body supported,and Jason had stilled, not even wanting to breathe too much in case it jostled them. 

 

At the beginning of the desert round, Roy laid his head on Jason’s shoulder, and Jason looped his arm around his shoulders in order to avoid being squished. 

 

Jason  would usually make sardonic remarks throughout the show while Roy got excited about how delicious everything looked. 

 

“I bet you could make it better, though,” he said, almost an afterthought, regarding a pastry dish done by one of the chefs in the final two- a pretty blonde woman and a broad, muscular man were the final standing contestants, and Roy’s comparatively benign comments about how lustrous and shiny the woman’s hair looked were doing funny things to Jason’s stomach. He knew it was jealousy, but didn’t want to put the word to it. That would make it real, and then he would have to deal with it, and… Yeah, better off to avoid the feeling. Better off to avoid the insane amount of heat put off by Roy the human furnace, warming Jason to his very core when he was usually cold as stone- a gravestone, or a corpse. Better off to ignore The way Roy relaxed into him like a kitten, the softness of his ginger hair on Jason’s neck where his shirt collar has been pulled down, the ghosting touch of Roy’s hand on his when he reached for popcorn, or gestured- it had to be accidental, but Jason’s skin felt aflame. 

 

“I suppose I’m a decent cook,” Jason conceded. He was grumbling, but secretly pleased. 

 

“I love all the food you make,” Roy chirped happily.

 

The next moments seemed, to Jason to happen in slow motion. 

 

“I love you,” he blurted. Immediately, His head snapped around to look at Roy with enough force to give him whiplash, and he was torn between reactions. Should he laugh, make a stupid joke- he could play it off, but no, the longer he waited the seconds accumulated, making it more awkward, and fuck- should he ignore it? Pretend it never happened, that the words meant nothing? He could take it back-

 

He examined Roy’s face. Roy’s mouth was opening and closing, like a fish- for once, speechless- an adorable pink blush creeping up his neck, and a hint of a smile at his lips, making his eyes crinkle. 

 

God, he was so stupid. Roy had sat up, pulling away- he was looking at Jason, not saying anything.

 

And Jason was just sitting there. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Time seemed to be moving at lightspeed and frozen simultaneously- It was like Jason was on a rollercoaster encased in jello, or something. 

 

He had to normalize the situation; get this wayward train back on course. 

 

“Can we just pretend I didn’t say that?”

 

Roy’s face immediately fell. He shifted away from Jason, sitting up straight- taut, like a bowstring. He looked supremely uncomfortable. A frown was clearly trying to make itself known, but Roy was trying to stifle it. 

 

“Sure,” he said, voice flat. “No problem, man!” The happiness in his voice was so clearly fake, so deliberately infused, that Jason felt like he’d been plunged into cold water. 

 

“Roy, I-”

 

Roy cut him off with a forced laugh. “Seriously, no problem!” His tone was laced with bitterness. “We all say stupid shit. God knows I do it enough.” 

He made to stand up, but Jason grabbed his wrist, sliding closer. 

 

“No, I mean. Shit. I’m sorry,” he said lamely. “I mean. I meant it. It wasn’t stupid shit.” The last few words came out in a mumble. 

 

He flushed, looking at his feet, then back up at Roy, who had that lost puppy look in his eyes that, without fail, made Jason do literally anything. 

 

“You do?” he asked, treading carefully. 

 

Jason caught his bottom lip between his teeth, glancing away. Damn eye contact. 

 

“Yeah.” 

 

There was an unbearable pause. 

 

“Sorry.” 

 

Roy looked startled. “Sorry? For what?”

 

Jason shrugged. “Being. I dunno, emotionally constipated?” The inner turmoil, while still very much present, was no longer written across Jason’s face, and his usual stony expression with a hint of smirk had taken its place. 

 

Roy scoffed. “S’okay. I know. I love you too.”

 

He leaned forward, throwing himself at Jason and crushing him in a hug. 

 

“Hey, hey, man!” Jason was laughing, shaking, relieved. “Don’t crush me! I already died once!”

 

Roy pulled away to roll his eyes. “As you keep reminding everyone.”

 

“You know,” Roy continued, slinging an arm around Jason’s shoulder, “I really didn’t think you’d be the first to say it.” He turned to look Jason in the eye, grinning. “What with me being over-emotional and you being, well, you, after all.” 

 

Jason playfully punched Roy in the arm, ducking his head to hide his smile as he leaned back into Roy, noting that their positions from earlier had almost switched. 

 

“Fuckin’ sap, Harper,” he mumbled.

  
They never did figure out who won that episode of Chopped. 


End file.
